


"This is real life! You don't get to restart things when you make a mistake!"

by AkiNoHyo



Series: Trust Fall [3]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Adopted Father, And Sam is very much confused by that fact, Cheryl adopted Kent, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Kent adopted Cheryl, Opening Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26583295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkiNoHyo/pseuds/AkiNoHyo
Summary: After a tiring day down in the mines, Cheryl comes by Kent's and shares a beer with him. The old man has a gift for understanding the young woman's dilemma, and she's not so sure she appreciates it.
Relationships: Female Player & Kent (Stardew Valley), Kent & Cheryl, Sam/Cheryl, Sam/Female Player (Stardew Valley)
Series: Trust Fall [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1933648
Kudos: 6





	"This is real life! You don't get to restart things when you make a mistake!"

"Ughhh... The mines'll get me killed one day." Cheryl sighed and fell down onto her favorite spot, the black sofa in front of the desk. "Mind if I steal a beer?"

Kent, sitting at his desk and scribbling things she didn't even want to know about, snorted. "Like you'd take no for an answer anyways." 

The red haired woman offered him a bright smile and, as she was about to get up again to snitch a beer from the fridge, got interupted by Jodi. "Don't go pouring blood all over my kitchen, young lady. The sofa's enough trouble to clean." The mother passed her by and disappeared into the kitchen before coming back with two beers. She offered one to Kent and gave the other to the bloody guest. 

"Come on, Jodi", Cheryl moaned in a pathetic voice, "I'm super clean. I dropped by the bath house on the way back and you know I wouldn't endanger your furnitures like some kind of savage, right?" 

Jodi scoffed mockingly despite the warm affection filling her eyes. "I live with three savages, Cheryl, I know not to underestimate your kind." That got a laugh out of her husband and Cheryl groaned some kind of mumbling excuses. "I'm letting you two alone, now. Don't forget to tell Sam to text his grandma when he finally gets back."

The mother slid back into her room and the kitchen lights went off on her trail. A confortable silence fell between the veteran and the miner, only interupted by the cold ones being cracked open. In the distant neighbourhood, they could hear the sound of a dog barking and probably what sounded like a group of young adults having fun. Probably Sam, Aby and Seb... Cheryl wondered for a second if Serra was with them, but shrugged it off. 

"So? The mines'll be your end?" Kent turned around to face her. In the dim light of his desk lamp, he seemed so much older. The dark circles under his eyes seemed even darker than usual, as if he couldn't find the will to sleep despite finally being home. 

The red haired woman took a moment to swipe the sweat from her forehead. The summer days were getting longer and longer and the air was only suffocating them more. The lava parts of the mines were impossible to walk through and she'd almost given up on collecting void essences for the shadow people weren't easy to deal with, and she couldn't swing her sword around if her legs were ready to give in at any time. "Maybe. At least that's what Sam and Serra think. I can't count how many times they told me to stop messing around down there." 

Kent gave her that look. That knowing look, filled with cold compassion, with the powerless knowledge of what was going through her head, with the shinning "I've been there" written in the blood spread in battle. Cheryl smiled it off innocently, like she didn't know everything the veteran had to say. He took another sip of his drink. "So why do you keep going back?"

Cheryl snorted and bent over, a hand on the side of her mouth to mimic some secretive talk. "The money, Kent, the sweet money." And she giggled. Giggles that quickly faded to nothing when Cheryl realized she hadn't fooled anyone. She liked Kent exactly for that. She couldn't get away with jokes, but never was he ever judging her. He kept his glare cold and knowing. He was seeing through her bullshit, and giving her time, space, and enough questions to help her understand herself. She muttered a little "sorry" and retrieved her serious tone. "It's just... Well, the money's part's true, you know. With everything I find down there, I can supply for the family, keep Serra safe and warm and have backup if something bad happens. We need this, more than she'll admit, and... and I like being in the mines." She embraced the silence for a little while, grateful for Kent not interrupting and giving her enough time to collect her thoughts. "It's lonely and I... It's stupid but I know I can be selfish down there. You know, it's either that or dying, so I have an excuse to stop thinking about anything else. I just fight off whatever comes my way and mine the day away. It helps, it keeps my mind shut." 

Also, she wouldn't admit it, but the danger was everything she had ever longed for. It was like her life could finally make sense, now that everything could end in a second. She needed this, needed the feeling of giving up on life, of putting her fate in the hands of chance.

"Everyone has their own mines. Everyone falls down somewhere in a dark pit where they fight off demons." Cheryl drank the rest of her beer in one gulp. That shit was getting to philosophical for her. Kent saw in her eyes that she was about to change subject and coughed to mark his point. "Cheryl, some monsters can't be fought off with a sword. You know that."

"Well, no one's keeping me from trying." It came out more agressive than she'd thought and she lowered her beer. "You of all people should know what it's like to take the first weapon available to slash whatever you can with it. I know it won't get anyone back. This is the real life, Cheryl, you don't get to restart when you make a mistake, they've told me that enough. I just... I just need it. I've fell down many holes before, and it never got my life back together, but it's like... It's like nothing will get anything back together. So why can't I just take that sword and open slimes until I slip and maybe fall asleep down there and you know, maybe no one will wonder where I am and no one will find me and I'll finally be alone and peaceful and--" she stopped right there, terrified of how she'd open herself up tonight. She stared at the veteran for a few minutes where they could hear nothing else than maybe the clock and maybe the dog and maybe the door creaking open and Cheryl quiclky regained composure so that Sam wouldn't notice anything. Once again, she burried everything deep down. 

"Hey dad!" The young man caught sight of the red haired miner and froze. "Hey! Herm... Cheryl. D-didn't know you'd, herm, you'd be there." 

She honestly could've laughed at how hard he was blushing and stuttering. Of course, it was too fun to do nothing about it so she straight up winked at him and let out a slow and somewhat sensual "hey". Even from afar she could hear him gulp and his cheeks darkened. His father rolled his eyes with an amused smirk before asking his son about his night. Sam quiclky sumarized how Seb caught a frog and how Abigail played some flute and "oh hey forgot something in my room I'll be back in no time don't drink too much guys" and despite it being adorably stupid, or maybe because of that, Cheryl couldn't help the fond look that reached her eyes. 

"Can I say something horribly annoying?" Kent didn't wait for the woman's approval. "Don't play with him, Cheryl. He's not rebound, and not something fun to use." There was a newfound harshness in his tone, but she didn't take offense. 

"I know..." she sighed. "He's just... I dunno Kent." She lowered her voice to nothing more than a whisper so that Sam couldn't hear anything. Her own cheeks took a red color and she avoided eye contact. "It's like... I've finally found the right person, only it's so not the good time. You know?" Saying it aloud after ten months of playing with unknown feelings got her suddenly way too aware of everything she'd done wrong and everything she wished to do right starting now. It also made her realize how impossible this relationship could be. She was too deep in the mines for now. She couldn't burden him with her mess and... He deserved better than someone who's only wish was to fall asleep deep in the mines and never get back to the surface. 

The veteran sighed too. His voice answered in the same low tone. "I know you're a good person Cheryl, and I know there'll be a time where you'll be able to love yourself and someone else, but in the meantime... Don't hurt him more than necessary." 

"Hey so Cheryl I've got that old record we talked about. Still wanna borrow it?" Sam barged into the room with a bright smile, oblivious to what was being said about him, and the red haired farmer instantly noticed how he'd helplessly tried to put some order in his hair. 

The gesture was so sweet that maybe she got an urge to put her two arms around him and hug him close and burry her face in his neck but even if that thought crossed her mind, she simply coughed the blushing away before getting up. "Yeah, you've been talking about it for a week now." Like that was more than reason enough to listen to something old and probably totally not her style. She reached for the record and, call her stupid, but her fingers brushed against Sam's and she smiled so fondly at how he lenghtened the moment, chasing her touch like something he needed as much as she did. Once again he was blushing, but so was she and if he noticed he didn't say anything. Their eyes locked and Cheryl felt her lips go dry at the intense look Sam was giving her. 

"I..." His voice was hoarsed and low and it sent shivers down her spine. For a moment, he didn't add anything and simlpy lingered, enjoying the touch, the look, and maybe the burning feeling they shared in their chests. But then Kent coughed and they both laughed it off in an ankward way. "I just hope you'll enjoy it."

"Oh, yeah, sure, thanks, Sam." She pointed towards the sofa. "Wanna sit with us? We were about to play poker." She hoped Kent would agree to the new plan. 

Sam whined playfully. "You know I suck at this game."

"Langage." Kent gave his son an intimidating look, but the farmer knew he wasn't being serious. Of all people Kent was the less likely to care about langage. If he were, they wouldn't be friends. 

"Wow, so Cheryl can say "fuck" and I can't even say "suck"? What kind of household is this?" 

"Well, Cheryl's got a free pass since she brought beer. I don't remember you doing anything for your old man." He marked his words with a smile and got up to go get said drink. "Also your mom asked you to text grandma and you didn't do it so I'm taking away the langage privilege." 

The red haired woman let out a victorious "Aha!" and giggled at Sam's mortified expression. And... Well, with Kent in the kitchen... She swiftly snaked her arms around the man's waist. Once again, her voice went low. "Thanks for the record." 

She was about to pull back and sink onto the sofa when Sam finally tilted to Cheryl being pressed to his chest, covered in scars and bruises he hadn't said anything about and a tad too happy for a simple record. His arms pulled her closer and he burried his nose in her hair. A warm feeling blossomed in the farmer's chest. She felt safe. Being there, hugged by Sam, she finally felt safe and warm and even if it wasn't lonely, it was still peaceful. Why couldn't she just enjoy what he had to give? Why was she forced to push him away, only to take what she needed when she needed it? She let out a shaky sigh. The man answered it by tracing gentle cercles on her back. She didn't deserve him. "Sam... I..." She didn't dare to look up. She opened her mouth, unsure of what she had to say, of what she could possibly say to make him understand that she was being selfish and that they both needed distance because she couldn't bare to hurt him more...

Sam whispered in her ear, cutting short to everything piling up in her head. "Don't push me away again." And just like that he blew away all of her silent reasoning and resolve. 

She let go of everything and inhaled his scent, sinking into the feeling of warmth and care that was blossoming in her chest. "Okay. I won't." 

When Kent came back, he found them cuddling there, in the middle of the room. He didn't comment, but Cheryl could feel his eyes on her back, guilting her for, again, taking advantage of Sam's gentle nature. She went back to her seat, a bit too polite and quiet for what was usual with her. They played a bit of poker, and she laughed at how Sam was bad at bluffing, and maybe she left a little too early, but it was either that or letting her eyes linger where they shouldn't and letting feelings grow in her chest. Again, the veteran didn't say anything, but she knew what he was thinking. She was running away. She had come, taken a bit of Sam, and ran away in the night, like a thief. 

Yet that was what she did best. Taking and leaving.

She remembered nights of drinking and ending up at someone else's place, trying to pick up a bit of warmth and stability wherever she could.

And just like tonight, she'd always end up back home before Serra woke up, stepping by her bedside, watching her sleep, and telling herself she was doing it for her. No matter how much she would destroy herself, what mattered was her little bird.

She didn't need to know that Serra never slept while she was away, always wondering if her big sister would come back and not die like their mother. She didn't need to be broken even more. So that night, when Serra heard her sister's footsteps, when she heard her shaky breath and felt her hand on the cover, she didn't say a thing. She closed her eyes, and let Cheryl cry her heart out in silent sobs.


End file.
